


Your Gentle Warmth Tempts Me

by AzuretheNerd



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Acquaintances to Lovers, Dancing, Gardens & Gardening, M/M, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:55:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21773296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzuretheNerd/pseuds/AzuretheNerd
Summary: Lorenz is selected as the Golden Deer's representative for the White Heron Cup. Obviously, he is certain he can outshine most of the other students... except for royalty. One late night dance practice and a harsh gust of wind lead him to the greenhouse, where something inside him blossoms faster than the flowers.
Relationships: Lorenz Hellman Gloucester/Dedue Molinaro
Comments: 2
Kudos: 30





	Your Gentle Warmth Tempts Me

**Author's Note:**

> *blows kiss* this is for all of u in the Deduenz server especially my wife thank you for ur patience
> 
> Also please have mercy this is the first fanfic I didn't give up on halfway through

Lorenz Hellman Gloucester knew he was the right choice to enter the White Heron Cup. As far as he was concerned, he was the most handsome and graceful noble in the Officer's Academy. His neat, purple hair glistened in the moonlight as he danced. Professor Byleth had been so kind to give him a rudimentary lesson earlier in the day, but it was not enough to satisfy him. His heart began to worry that he would be set to compete against the only competition he saw fit to beat him -- royalty.

And so, Lorenz had to doubly ensure that not even royalty could outshine him. His footsteps crunched in the snow, illuminated by the Ethereal Moon. Lorenz would rise above it all. He had to.

A cold, bitter wind struck Lorenz, nearly knocking him onto his feet. He stumbled forward and steadied himself.

"I suppose it is a bit too harsh out here to practice," Lorenz mumbled as he looked around. Good. Nobody saw him stumble. He gazed wistfully into the distance before slinking off to seek shelter in the greenhouse.

He most certainly hadn't expected company in the greenhouse, let alone Dimitri's vassal, of all people.

"Oh, good evening, Dedue!" Lorenz fidgeted with the edges of his coat. "What brings you here this fine evening?"

Dedue raised an eyebrow before glancing back down at the flowers before him. "I was just checking up on these flowers. They only blossom at this time of year, so I wanted to make sure they were not too warm."

"I see. If I had known you had such a gift for gardening, I would have asked for your aid in tending to my roses…" Lorenz glanced over at the nearly-wilted bush near the back. "Gloucester Roses are usually the finest in all of Fodlan, but the seeds I were given were intent on giving me the worst time. For weeks, I thought I was given pebbles by mistake." Lorenz sighed and sulked over to the pitiable sight before him. "I know it's long past time the expected period for them to blossom, but I sincerely hope they'll pull through before I graduate." Lorenz took hold of the gardening shears and attempted to trim away the thorny branches, praying that his many moons of effort were not in vain.

Dedue broke the awkward silence. "You should probably wear…" Lorenz reeled back and grasped his finger, having just been pricked by a thorn. "...gloves."

Lorenz sighed. "I suppose I should have waited until I was rested up." He inspected his finger and smiled. "At least I'm not bleeding. That would be a travesty."

"Indeed it would be." Dedue paused. "Would you like to borrow my gloves? I understand if you would rather not…"

"Nonsense. It would be most impolite of me to refuse such a generous offer because of your origins." Lorenz closed his eyes and puffed out his chest. "And to be so impolite would disgrace not just my family, but to the entire Alliance."

Lorenz swore he caught Dedue rolling his eyes at him -- the  _ impudence _ of it all, when Lorenz was being so  _ polite _ \-- before removing his gloves and handing them to Lorenz.

As Lorenz slipped his hands inside the gloves, he felt some kind of overwhelming warmth flow from his hands to his cheeks. Dedue's gloves were still rather warm and, by extension, his hands as well, were much larger than Lorenz's dainty hands. Had Lorenz the same lack of composure of some schoolboy developing a crush, he'd say he felt a sense of intimacy in wearing someone else's gloves.

But Lorenz was no ordinary schoolboy. He was an honor student of the most esteemed schooling facility in all of Fodlan. So, instead, he simply  _ thought _ he felt a sense of intimacy in wearing someone else's gloves.

A painstakingly silent few minutes passed, and finally, Lorenz found one teensy bud on the bush. "I knew it," he murmured in delight. "I knew you were hiding at least one bud from me."

Lorenz straightened himself up. "Thank you very kindly for allowing me to borrow your gloves, Dedue. I am in your debt." Lorenz gingerly removed the gloves and passed them back to their rightful owner.

"There is no need."

Lorenz raised an eyebrow. "Certainly there must be  _ something _ I can aid you with." Silence fell. "I-I mean, you're one of the most capable people here, but you must be exhausted with taking care of Prince Dimitri--"

"His Highness is a capable man."

"Then I did not overhear you asking him to not eat the weeds you two were plucking the other day?"

Dedue sighed. "I am perfectly capable of reining in His Highness's impulsive nature. Besides, it would tarnish your prized reputation if you were caught spending so much time with a man of Duscur like me."

"Balderdash! As a noble, it is my duty to help the commonfolk, regardless of where they are from. If doing so tarnishes my name in the eyes of other nobles, then they do not deserve their titles." Lorenz huffed, the memories of overheard conversations from students and staff alike.

"You are going to bother me until I find some way for you to repay you, aren't you?"

"'Bother' is quite the strong word--"

"Of course you are." Dedue took a deep breath. "There is one thing that has been keeping me up as of late. The… The White Heron Cup, specifically."

"Oh, dear. Did Professor Hanneman actually enter Prince Dimitri after all?"

"No. His Highness specifically begged to avoid being chosen, and despite Sylvain's pleas to dance… I was chosen, instead."

"Quite the controversial choice, I assume?"

"Felix and Ingrid made their disapproval clear."

"I don't know how I can get you out of that situation, I'm afraid." Lorenz pursed his lips.

"Then would you be willing to give me a dance lesson? I'm afraid that Professor Hanneman did not teach me suitably." Dedue's cheeks darkened.

"Normally I would decline to aid my competition at the risk of embarrassing myself in front of  _ Claude _ ," Lorenz hissed the name of his rival, "but a debt is a debt, and I shall repay it however I can."

Dedue chuckled, and Lorenz felt a flutter in his chest. Perhaps it was the warmth of the greenhouse, the novelty of seeing Dedue smile for the first time, the warmth of Dedue's hands as they enveloped Lorenz's own, or just the enjoyment of being able to relax around someone, but something had turned Lorenz's cheeks from lily-white to rose-red.

Lorenz cleared his throat. "Well, um, show me what Professor Hanneman taught you."

"Right." Dedue's hands trembled as he gently guided Lorenz into a clumsy dance, swaying like branches in a calm breeze.

"Oh, dear, Professor Hanneman really shouldn't be teaching anyone to dance if this is all he taught you." Lorenz shook his head. "Fear not, I will right this wrong, even if we are here until sunrise."

"That seems a bit excessive."

"Let it be known that I, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, am nothing if not dedicated to my cause." Lorenz puffed out his chest and he smirked.

Dedue laughed -- softly, briefly -- but with a force that turned the tips of Lorenz's ears a brilliant shade of red.

Lorenz smiled. "Now, place your left hand on my back. I'll show you how to lead first and then follow second."

Dedue sheepishly placed his hand on Lorenz's back, his fingertips almost reaching Lorenz's side, his right hand wrapped neatly around Lorenz's left hand.

Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, the most refined noble in the Alliance (aside from his father) had never felt so small in his life. And somehow, he didn't seem to mind.

Lorenz cleared his throat and placed his right hand on Dedue's shoulder. "We'll take it slowly, since this is your first time."

"You have been around Sylvain too much."

Lorenz, for the first time in a very long time, laughed. And, for the first time, Dedue laughed with him.

Lorenz wasn't sure when he reached up to cup Dedue's cheek. He wasn't sure what came over him when he said, "My goodness, Dedue. If you smile so brightly and dance the way I'm about to teach you, then you will certainly win the White Heron Cup with ease."

Dedue's cheeks were dark and warm, warm enough to make the sun envious, warm enough to melt the snow that blanketed all of Garreg Mach, warm enough to melt away Lorenz's inhibitions. And even warmer so was Dedue's gaze.

Lorenz cleared his throat and returned his hand to Dedue's shoulder. "Ah, you are clearly correct. Sylvain has been a horrible influence on me. Sh-Shall we begin?"

"Yes." 

"Very well. First step, draw your left foot forward." Lorenz slid his right foot back, as if enticing Dedue to follow. "Very good, just like that. Now, move your right foot to the side, like so." Lorenz placed his left foot to his left, with Dedue following not far behind. "Step three is to bring your left foot to your right." Dedue and Lorenz brought their feet together, synchronized perfectly. "You really are a natural at this, Dedue."

"No. I just have a wonderful teacher, is all."

Lorenz paused nearly stumbling over his own feet as he and Dedue continued to waltz.

"Goodness. Keep talking like that, and I might find myself kissing you."

Dedue stumbled, and the collision of stumbling feet sent the pair tumbling to the ground, with Lorenz landing perfectly in Dedue's lap.

"Hello, Lorenz." Dedue's widened eyes gazed at Lorenz, an unfamiliar glint to his eye.

"Hello, Dedue." Lorenz gently cupped Dedue's head in his dainty, white hands. "Um, m-may I, erm, may I kiss you?"

"Please." Dedue nodded eagerly.

Lorenz had expected to share his first kiss with a beautiful girl in his class that he would eventually marry and produce an heir with, just as his father wanted. He also knew that his father would certainly mind if Lorenz carried out a romance with not just any man, a  _ commoner _ , and not just any commoner, a man from Duscur. But a little voice in Lorenz's head asked if his father was right.

And so Lorenz kept kissing Dedue, wrapping his arms around Dedue's broad shoulders. Dedue pulled Lorenz closer to him, closing every gap between them.

A cold breeze sent a chill down the pair's spines and they swiftly parted as the door creaked open.

"Ah, Dedue. My apologies for interrupting. Dimitri stood in the doorway, frozen in the cold moonlight. "But, as long as you're doing alright, I shall return to my quarters."

"Your Highness--"

"Dedue, please, I'm begging you, just call me 'Dimitri'."

Lorenz decided to ignore the petty exchange between prince and vassal and took the opportunity to pluck a purple handkerchief from his own pocket and slip it into Dedue's pocket.

"At least allow me to escort you back to your quarters."

"Oh, I thought you were going to do that for Lorenz."

"Dimitri."

"Ha! I thought I'd never hear you say my name!" Dimitri turned and left, puffed up in triumph.

Dedue sighed. "Sorry about His Highness. He can be a bit too eager for his own good."

"At least he didn't grab a midnight snack before he left." Lorenz smirked.

Dedue rolled his eyes and planted a quick kiss on Lorenz's lips. "We should turn in for the night. Would you like to continue the lesson tomorrow?"

"It would be an honor." Lorenz plucked a small cluster of lilac from the nearby lilac bush and tucked it behind Dedue's ear.

Dedue scooped Lorenz up in one arm and used his other hand to steady himself as he stood himself up, then gently setting Lorenz back up on his feet.

"Same time, same place?" Dedue blushed.

"I would offer the privacy of my quarters, but I can't trust Claude to not give me hell for, oh what would he say, 'fraternizing with the competition'. And, sadly, his room is right next to mine, so he would know." Lorenz sighed.

"I would offer my room, but with me being who I am--"

"Perish the thought. Now I'm wholly tempted to take up that offer."

"And Sylvain's room is directly above mine--"

"We could always give him something to make him jealous." Lorenz smirked.

Dedue's hands started nervously fidgeting with the cuffs of his sleeves. "Your professor is also right next to me."

Lorenz's cheeks turn red. "That, ah, would complicate things. But my professor is understanding. Besides, your room is far more private than the greenhouse."

"You have a point."

"So, tomorrow night, your room?"

Dedue nodded, and the two parted ways.

The Golden Deer class was thoroughly surprised when Lorenz Hellman Gloucester was  _ happy _ when he lost the White Heron Cup three nights later.


End file.
